Jen~Dave says, "So, is Jen going to enter those beautiful girls or what? They would win hands down!" He is a riot. He loves the girls as much as I do. Donna~(((Hugs))) Sorry that you haven't been feeling well. Please let me know your address. BJ~You sound like you have been doing some major camping with little equipment. But, with great results. You are so admirable. DeeMarie~Cannot wait for you to check in. Have a great time. I will pretend that I am on the boat with all of you "cruisers". LOL We are thinking that we might try to sneak off to NM while we are in TX for our anniversary since that is where we spent our honeymoon. Tikanis~You had a lot to do today, (or was it yesterday?) We snuck off with some friends & went to Tampa to a craft show. We borrowed a wheelchair & Dave pushed me around. I haven't heard anything so I'm guessing that they didn't find anything wrong. And, I know that I am doing better but I still hurt quite a bit. Who has Dr. Oz's book? Can anyone explain his theory to me & more or less what the plan calls for you to eat or not eat? I keep thinking that might be the sensible WOE for me, something that I could stick with. Marci~When are you coming this way? I keep thinking about Gretchen. Does anyone still keep in touch with her? I miss her a whole bunch. Well, nighty-night for now. Patti :)

Hi! You are on the right track. A bike ride to Curves is a good thing! My advice is this: Drink lots of water,chew sugarless gum to satisfy the urge to put something in your mouth. DO NOT keep junk food in your house.Throw out all junk today and don't buy anymore. Replace all fatty high calorie foods with lite ones ( mayo, dressings etc) Don't shop while hungry. Keep lots of cut celery, carrots and other crunchy veggies around and ready to grab for "the munchies" Make a deal with yourself not to give in to your cravings until after a 1/2 hour waiting period and a tall glass of water. The craving will probably have passed by then. Put up a "skinny" picture of yourself on the fridge. Reward yourself with a treat (NOT FOOD!!) after not cheating for a certain period of time ( a day, a week, whatever it takes...) Pick a "special" non food treat for each samller size that you can fit into. Plan fun, workout activities with your hubby or a friend. Walking, roller skating, biking etc. Pick a buddy to help you be accountable for regular exercise and good food habits. Record your food intake daily ( log EVERYTHING that goes into your mouth)Try fitday.com Pick a food plan (weight watchers, south beach etc) and stick to it. If you don't have a "weight buddy" then weight watchers is a great support system for being accountable. Allow yourself one special meal each week where you eat your favorite things in moderate amounts ( ONE meal!!)Learn serving sizes and measure. Keep busy. Idle hand, you know... : ) Keep posting here and ask for help and support whenever necessary. Volunteer. Help somebody in need. Nothing takes my mind off of me as much as spending some time helping somebody else. You will never make up for love lost during your childhood, but you can add love to your life now by giving to others. It will come back you! You can NEVER accomplish this with food. Food won't love us, people will. This is a great forum . There are some really wonderful people here. We all support eachother! Any other hints for her ladies? Now... Go make this a great Monday! Tikanas

Well, I did the 11 day Fast Track and am 5.5 lbs. lighter. I was down 8 lbs the day after the fast, but somehow gained back a bit on the sequel. The prequel and sequel were very easy for me - lots of fruit and veggies. I was never hungry. The fast day actually wasn't as bad as I had imagined. I had a few episodes of a growling stomach, but kept myself busy and drank lots of water along with the "miracle juice". I am somewhat bloated and constipated now (the 12th day), but feel more energetic and clear headed than I have in a very long time. I'll be doing this again later in the summer!

As I'm sitting here this a.m., I'm noticing how poorly my head feels. This is definitely something that I shouldn't be having, esp as it's not improving like the rest of my body is. I'm going to have to keep exploring and experimenting and hopefully find a solution. Esp given how excellent...truly excellent... like better than I had in years and years...I was feeling right up until surgery. I want to go back there and don't want to compromise or be dismissed. It was only last week that I was feeling so super, so it's not an aging thing or an unattainable thing. It was real, and I'm going to do my best to get it back.